Step by Step
by Carmelor
Summary: The freezing winds of winter brings strange things to life
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing in Middle Earth, nor the main character who will later be revealed as a well known character.

On that thought I do own Carmelor he is mine do not use him without my permission.

Ireth and Nulla belong to friends of mine do not use them

**Step by Step**

Snow fell softly on the elvish grounds, making the forest look as if it glowed with an angelic

luster. A lone traveler walked softly through the woods the snow crunching softly under his feet

his breath causing a grey disturbance in the night air. He was tired so tired, under his fatigue he

thought he begun to feel the cold. He reached his hand slowly upward towards the sky reaching

for the stars. "Vala.. please help me... spare me... or let me at least die quickly." his voice rang

out like a bell in the clear frozen night. He walked longer and longer the night seeming to draw

darker and deeper, the snow swirled harder and harder around him, he walked further in, further

and further in to the ice. His eyes closed he kept he walking further into to the snow awake and

asleep at the same time. It seemed to him his legs had been moving for hours he couldn't even

fathom stopping anymore he had to keep to going until he was saved or died _I can't stop. Keep _

_going, keep going, keep going, need ... not stop... keep goi.._ He collapsed.

... _Light ... white.. No. Its light from a fie, I'm warm I can feel my limbs, I can breath again! Was _

_I saved? I want to lay here forever I don't want_ _to talk I can't talk I want to sleep now_ "He... l.."

I wake up again I think I can open my eyes I listen for sounds of life first. I do not want open

my eyes yet lest I meet a worse fate nor do I in this moment feel like dealing with anyone even if

they indeed be my savior. I hear no one so I open my eyes. I thought at first that I was in some

sort of dwelling on a bed but I know see that I am indeed still outside but I am warm.. Now I see

I must have died. I reach up and touch my face I can feel it, feeling your skin means your not just

fea... which means in turn that I am not dead. I look around I am laying on some animal skin I

have no blanket on but am very warm. "You are awake welcome to the first step!" a cheerful

voice said calmly. I think I must have hit my head.. First step.. There is no such thing.. I turn to

look at whoever spoke and saw a girl tall and beautiful. Know that I look back at the moment I

can't really recall what she looked like. Who in Arda are you? " I am Ireth, I am here to guide to

the second step." The second step? "To get home of course" she said. Now I fully open my eyes

and sit up. I can sit up! No pain.. I can move just fine and I don't feel sick. I stand up. I turn to

her and smile. Well I no not what the steps are, but if they will take my home then I am up for

whatever it takes to get there. I look around and it then occurs to me that everything seems dark, I

can not fully make anything out I sit back down again. " Stay there." said Ireth " You need to

regain what you have lost" I sigh. How do I do that? She puts something in my hand.. It is some

kind of ...stick? "Draw with me and gain what you have lost" she said . This is indeed odd but

I did as told I wanted to get home to see my family again. What do I need to draw? She laughed "

The next step of course." what? She takes my hand in hers and we start to draw in the snow she

guides my hand. The picture is vague at first as vague as my surroundings but the more that is

drawn the clearer things become. I must be imagining things but I am beginning to see color and

dimension in the picture we are drawing ( I can see it clearly know as everything else has become

just as clear and bright) A cottage in the snowed woods but if becomes so real now I must believe

it. I reach forward to touch it and I find my self stumbling forward. I look back to the glade where

I had just been now it is more like a drawing.. and now I can see everything clearly again. I turn

back to the glade now no more then a drawing in the snow. "Good bye" Ireth whispers softly and

the draw fades into smooth snow.

I look at the cottage that is now in front of me the door opens and two elves or at least to they

seem some out. One is female she has short brown hair and a beautiful intelligent face, the other

is an male he has long silver hair and wears a smile. "Welcome to the Second step, We are

Carmelor and Nulla, We will guide you to the third step." They said together.

To Be Continued...


	2. Step 2

Still no reviews.. well no one's probably reading this then but here's chapter two anyway.

Author Notes: First I say if you are still reading this thank you, um sorry about some of the mistakes in the first chapter. I originally had lines dividing the sections but after uploading it onto fanfiction the lines disappeared. I tried a different method this time, I hope it will work. Well enjoy.

Continuation ...

What? Umm... well alright, now how do I get to this third step? How can I get home to

family? Nulla smiled at me " First you have to get something you lost back" I already have or so

Ireth said I replied. Carmelor walked up next to Nulla putting his arm around her waist " You

have lost many things, to proceed in the steps and get back home you must regain it all. You have

earned your eyes now you must earn your ears." Now I am most confused.. but come to think of I

do hear things oddly now.. like I'm underwater... well if it helps to get home to my family I will

go along with it.

I am sitting down in a chair we are all eating I am beginning to feeling a bit cold odd... the

feeling is gone and I resume eating . I look up and it occurs to me Carmelor and Nulla are talking

with each other, finally they stop, look at me and Carmelor stands up and goes over to the fire

place and gets a small box from the mantel and two larger boxes on the floor. He walks over to

the rug in front of the fireplace and sits down opening the boxes. From the small box he pulled

beautiful little flute made of dark rich colored wood with intricate carvings on it. Next he pulled

out from the two larger boxes harps that seemed to be made of silver. The whole time Nulla and I

had been watching him unload. At this point Nulla nodded to him and motioned for me to stand

and follow her to the rug. " It is our understanding you can play the harp" she said while sitting

down and picking up the flute. I nod Yes I can I reply. "Good then" said Carmleor taking one of

the silver harps for himself and handing one to me. "Then let us play they said together. I nod

it is not unusual to play music and like after a meal. We start playing oddly enough it sounded

good. The more I listen the louder and clearer it got I look at the two Nulla and Carmelor have

closed their eyes, I do so too. As I play with my eyes closed I begin to see things... it is hard to

describe.. it is ... as if .. the music is weaving a picture in my mind the picture becomes clearer

and clearer as does the music in my ears. I am in some elvish area... in the trees in a tree house

like dwelling not unusual for the Elvish woodland areas the place seems to become more and

more real. Finally I open my eyes I am I must say somewhat surprised for I am no longer in the

cottage I am now in the tree house. I can still faintly hear the music in my ears and maybe my

imagination but I heard what sounded like Carmelor and Nulla saying "Good bye."

I look around the tree house behind me stood two others. One was female, young with long silver

hair. The other was a male with blond hair standing protectively next to the girl. " Welcome"

they said together "To the third step we are Aimereta and Anessen."

To Be Continued...


	3. Step 3

Authors note: Third part chapter, I quit writing this from total lack of reveiws, but becuase afriend asked me to I will finish, even if she is the only one who reads this. I don't have a beta so I am trying to be as careful as I can with the errors. Um enjoy part three.

And so...

I look at the two and sigh I know I know. I have lost something, correct? Anessen nodded

"Correct indeed." "And then you may go on to the fourth step" said Aimereta. I nod what do I

need to regain now I ask. Aimereta and Anessen looked at each other. "You have regained your

eyes and you ears, now you must regain your breath, voice you must regain you mouth."I look

at them again it just now occurs to me something is wrong with yet another one of my senses, my

mouth now feels dry and though I remember talking and even eating I don't remember using

my mouth to speak nor do I remember the taste of food. Why do I only realize my lack of this

sense when it is mentioned I ask. This whole thing had been strange but now it was just not

making sense at all. Aimereta spoke now "Because otherwise you would be overwhelmed, when

you lose many things and need to regain them you can not do it all at once or your efforts will be

folly." "Yes" said Anessen " In order to walk you must go one step at a time you can not

concentrate on them all at once or you shall fall, or worse lose desire to stand at all!" Now they

spoke together " To get home you must walk step by step by step."

Then for a split second everything made sense then I become so cold and darkness filled my eyes.

Every thing hurts I can't tell if I'm laying down or standing, moving or still, I know am in pain

and so cold. I see white swirling violently around me, I hear the wind howling, at least I hope it

is the wind. Darkness takes me again.

I am in the tree house again, I am now warm but not ,at least I think, as warm as I was. Aimereta

and Anessen nod "We must hurry" they say "The light will soon return and you must be ready for

it!" What must I do to regain my voice and move on to the fourth step? " Sing with us" they said.

And so we all sit in the floor of the tree house. Sing what I ask? "We will start" said Anessen

"And you will join in and your voice will know what words to sing even if your mind does not."

said Aimereta. I nod Alright then let my regain my mouth then. Aimereta and Anessen start the

song it is slow and beautiful and then I began to sing as well, it is as Aimereta said my mind does

not know this song but my voice does. The song described a place. We sang more and I began to

hear my own voice to feel my mouth moving. The song described a cave of the old world, not a

dragon's cave, but not a halfling's cave either. I was beautiful, blue crystal was everywhere it

seemed casting a blue angelic glow just like the lake in the cave. My voice becomes louder and

stronger,... more real as does the cave around me. I look up at the cave's ceiling and almost gasp

millions of small crystals are in the ceiling giving it the appearance of a field of Varda's stars.

I then realized I can not hear Anessen and Aimereta's voices anymore nor am I in the tree house,

like a last sigh I hear there voices together whispering "Good Bye."

I am now in the cave but this movement from place to place, well it still surprises me but at the

same time I almost expect it. "Welcome to the fourth step" said a clear melancholy voice. I spin

around an find my self facing a strange girl. Her hair seems black with purple streaks in it. " My

name is Rela." " And I" said a voice from the shadows ," Am Dareth"


	4. Step 4

Author's Note: Forth and final step.. Wow.. I and this story could not have made this step without Ireth known here as Elwing-Evenstar. I would have given up on this if not for her kind words and encouragement. Thank you Ireth you're a great friend!

Also everyone in here but the Tolkien characters and Carmelor are the screen names of friends of mine from different sites. They are good people and they deserve to have people know it.

Thank you Lightmare852 for your review, this is the last chapter so I won't be able to give clues but that is a great idea, and I might later revise the story and do that.

Also the songs in this step are Tolkien's and can be found in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.

And Now...

The Fourth Step: The step home

I turn to face them newly named Dareth and Rela. I knew I was close to something good and familiar...home maybe..whatever that was and who was there waiting.

What do I need now?

They look at each other somberly "We won't tell you, you must know what is on your own to get it and you shall never find yourself again without it." the said in eerie unison.

A sudden fear ran through me, I can't remember my self or my home but the thought of never having either again terrifies me greatly for some reason.

Please what do I do? How can I remember you must help me! Please!

I say suddenly feeling desperate

They merely shake there heads I sigh and go and sit in the floor trying hard to remember something... anything...

The past few hours have gone by excruciatingly slow. Still nothing not one hint of a memory. I going to be stuck in this cave forever! The crystals stopped shining soon after I got here. It is dark, quiet, and an apparent enemy of sanity.

I look to Dareth and Rela they sit at the foot of the cave looking out. The sun is beginning to set along mountains... suddenly a familiar feeling.. mountains those look so.. like.. it feels right seeing them...there is a strong cloud in them...a _mist_.

_Mist.. _that word.. it strikes something in me, I heard it with something.. a lot.

All of a sudden light of the setting sun streamed into the cave setting the crystal cave ablaze with bright beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow.

_Fire_! I remember a great fire! But I don't remember fear with it.. I remember .. happiness, joy..

Then a voice sprung up at first I knew not whether in my mind or outside, it was beautiful the voice, I realize Rela is singing

_Sing all ye joyful, now sing all together!_

_The wind's in the tree-top, the wind's in the heather;_

_The stars are in blossom, the moon is in flower,_

_And bright are the windows of Night in her tower._

That song! I've heard it before, I know it well.. I think. Then another voice came up this one low and sad, now Dareth sang.

_Gil-galad was an Elven-king._

_Of him the harpers sadly sing: _

_the last whose realm was fair and free_

_between the Mountains and the Sea_

This one made feel suddenly sad more then just one hearing the fate of an unfortunate person.. like knowing that unfortunate person, like losing a friend.

Then Rela started up agian

_Dane all ye joyful, now dance all together!_

_Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather!_

_The river is silver, the shadows are fleeting;_

_Merry is May-time, and merry our meeting._

Ahhh! Where have I heard that.. May.. I remember warmth, song, dancing... fire.. Elves!

Where? Where? Where was I then, why am I not there now? A river.. it feels like I know a river well.. from where?

Before I have time to think further Darath comes in agian

_His sword was long, his lance was keen,_

_his shining helm afar was seen:_

_the countless stars of heaven's felid_

_were mirrored in his silver sheild._

Gil-galad! I think I knew his, I feel excited at this. Then sadness rushes in, pain, hurt. I... I can remember the clashing of steel, the smell of blood, the cries of pain, despair, and savage victory

Then Rela comes in again he attention is once again stolen away

_Sing we know softly, and dreams let us weave him!_

_Wind him in slumber and there let us leave him!_

_The wander sleepth. Now soft be his pillow!_

It feels as though I have been hit in the head now before I can even contemplate what I've heard

Dareth sings again!.

_But long ago he rode away,_

_and where he dwelleth none can say;_

_for into darkness fell his star_

_in Mordor where the shadows are._

I did know him! I know his death, I know the war! The Last Alliance, that last stance against Sauron! I fought there!

Suddenly Rela's voice for one last time steals my thoughts

_Lullaby! Lullaby! Alder and Willow!_

_Sigh no more pine, till the wind of the morn!_

_Fall Moon! Dark be the land!_

_Hush! Hush! Oak, Ash, and Thorn!_

_Hushed be all water, till dawn is at hand!_

Water! The River! RIVENDELL! That's were I live!

I stand up suddenly, they turn and stare at me,

I have to go I yell

I have to go home I know who I am!

Suddenly the crystals that had been like fire turned to ice, bright blue and white shone strongly from the prisms. Its shines brighter and brighter till all I see is white, then the world and my consciousness goes out.

Cold... I feel cold so cold. I sit up quickly remembering all that had just passed. I brush the snow off my clothes an hair and go quickly forward. I am as tired as before but I know now I must keep going. I here something.. water.. a river. The River! I'm home.

I run for I don't know how long and come across the river my river half frozen. I stumble and slide across quickly, my feet crunch in the snow as I now rush forward with haste. Then I here a voice call out it is Erestor I am home!

"Elrond! Your alive, where have you been? You look half dead, we looked everywhere after you disappeared from the group but could not find you!" he stopped to take a breath "It was like you vanished from Arda!.. Why did you get separated in the first place..?"

I breath out watching by breath in the frozen night then I remember I saw a vision it startled me.. I fell off my horse and woke up again alone.. I wandered for hours trying to find the others again..

I saw something Erestor

I cry out

A golden ring with writing of fire, a halfling, a great war... what does it all mean?

The End.


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